Multiple-compartmented poweder container with selective gravity dispensing means



g- 1952 P. F. SIEWENIE MULTIPLE-COMPARTMENTED' POWDER CONTAINER WITH SELECTIVE GRAVITY DISPENSING .MEANS Filed May 4, 1949 win nf &W m2 w 1 $5.5:

2 SHEETS- SHEET 1 Illllll! Aug. 19, 1952 P. F. SIEWENIE 2,507,512

-- MULTIPLE-COMPARTMENTED POWDER CONTAINER WITH I SELECTIVE GRAVITY DISPENSING MEANS 2 sxms'rs-srmm 2 Filed May 4, 1949 777 @Mww WWW Patented Aug. 19, 1952 OFFICE MULTIPLE-COMPARTMENTED POWDER CONTAINER WITH SELECTIVE GRAV- ITX DISPENSING MEANS Philip Frank Siewenie, Chicago, 111.

Application May 4, 1949, Serial No. 91,392

a 4 Claims. 1 V

This invention relates to dispensers of different powdered materials separately contained in multiple compartments from which the content ofthe'column' being of plastic material; to provide a plastic agitator carriedfby a tubular member rotatably inserted withinjsa'id column, the'agitator having arms of'zig za'g' formation each operable within a compartment; to provide selective means of communication between each compartment and the rotatable tubular member; to provide spade terminal to each of the agitator arms, each spade adapted'to deliver portions of powder content of; a compartment for gravity release thereof and to provide a' manually operable means for rotating the'tubular' member.

Fig. 1 is'an elevation of the dispenser and its j cover including a fragmentary portion of a wall to show thedispenser secured in placeon a wall; Fig. 2 is a top'view of'the dispenser with the cover removed and is taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 3' is a cross-section takenon the lines-3 of Fig; 2 and including the means whereby the agitator is fastened to the central tubular col umn;

Fig. 4 is an elevation with the outer casing and top in'cross-section showing the compartment divider, one of the agitator arms, and the operatingmechanism; r v

Fig. 5 is a top view of the dispensrbf- Fig. 1 with the cover removed;

Fig. 6 is a cross-section taken along the lines 6-1-6 of Fig. 3 showing one set of communicating openings in the walls of the rotatable and column Pa t I g. 7 is a. cross-section taken along the'lines l-''| of.Fig. 5 showing theother set of communieating openings-in the walls of therotatable and column parts; 1

Fig.8 is a cross-section taken along the lines 8-8- of Fig. 4' showing open communication-between the compartment and rotatable member;

Fig; -9. is a view similar. to Fig. 8-but showing the 2 compartment in closed communication with the rotatable member;

Fig. 10 is an elevationof one agitator arm illustrated in inclined position with the bent spade in substantial alignment with the center of the overhead cross-bar; and

Fig. 11 is a detail illustrating the connection between the cross-bar' and the rotatable member.

With more particular reference to the accompanying drawing, the numeral I designates the hexagonally sided plastic casing of the dispenser and 2 the cover thereof, the bottom 3 being provided with a circular opening 4. The plastic partition 5 includes the tubular column 6 projecting 'therebelow, the projecting portion 1 of the column 6 inserted within-the opening 4 and having at its extremity an external thread8 upon which an internally threaded plastic shaft collar 9, having an internal shoulder 9A is turned so that it co-operates with the bottom edge 5A of the partition 5 in engagement with the inner surface of the bottom 3 to positively secure the partition 5 thereto, the side edges I0 and II of the partition 5 each being held within an acute angle juncture lz ofadjacent side portions 13 and I4 thereby dividing the dispenser into two separate compartments A and B. r

A rotatable tubular member [5 of thin metal wall is inserted within the .tubular'column 6 above which an upper extremity l6 projects as does also a lower end ll, which extends within and below the shoulderedportion 9A of the shaft collar 9 and within a plastic shaft collar l 8 integral with a plastic handle l9, a metal pin 25) extending longitudinally through the handle l9, collar l 8 and metal rotatable member [5, the pin 20 being headed at both ends and securing the combined members I9 and [8 to the member I5. Theupper projecting extremity [6 of the rotatable tubular member I5 is internally plugged, as at 2| and a groove 22 is provided across the top of metal and wooden surfaces 23, and a thin metallining 2 3 is fitted within the groove 22 to prevent wear of the Wooden plug 2 I.

An agitator 25 including a cross-bar 26 fitted within the metal lined groove 22, the agitator 25 having arms 21 and 28 of zig-zag formation integrally depending from opposite ends of the cross-bar 2S and extending the entire length of the dispenser within compartments A and B, each arm 21 and 28 including at its extremity a rearwardly bent spade 21A or 28A, the cross-bar being twisted to outwardly incline both arms 21 and 28. A screw 24A withina bore 26A in the crossbar 26, the metal lining 24 and the wooden plug 3 2i secures the cross-bar 26 to the wooden plug 2| within the groove 22.

Both compartments A and B are permanently provided with communication with the interior of the tubular column 6 of the partition 5 by means of openings 38 and 3!, each provided by the column 6 upon opposite sides of, and close to, the rear portion of the partition'5, suchcommunication however may be closed to either one or both compartments A and B by means of the inserted metal tubular member 15. The wall MA of the tubular member i5 is provided,'at diametrically opposite places in alignmentwith the over ead cross-bar 26, with substantial openings 32 ai'ndfiii, each separately registerable with the openings 36 member l5. 7

Soap powder being a finer grain than that of cleaning powder, and therefore likely to move more freely, it might be desired that the spade 21A be'made a little shorter than thespade 28A.

The operation of the improved selective powder dispenser from thefineutralposition illustrated by the Figure 5,;i'nWhichxallcommunication between both compartments A'and Bis normally closed; is had by moving the handle 1:9 either to'the extremeleft orxto .the'rightaccording to which soap powder or "cleaning powder is to'bedispensed, it being assumed that "the compartment A has a content of soap :powder and that the compartment B hasa content of cleaning powder and the dispenser is hung'conveniently on a wall adjacent its place of use. a i

If soap powder is'clesired'the'handle i9 is manually moved in a d-irection that is clockwise, looka l5 through the "opening 32 whereupon soap powder has been'forced therethroughand dis pensed 'by gravity down and out of the tubular lower extremity of the rotatable member 15. If sufficient-quantity of powder is not dispensed by means of one such operation, the handle l9 may be returned toward neutral position and then again operated'in the same direction.

To obtain cleaning powder, the handle I9 is operated as explained but in a direction'that is counterclockwise "looking axially downward on column i5, whereby'the'armfl just loosensthe powder content of the compartment A-and the arm 28 not-only loosens thepowder content of the compartment B but also, by means-of the spade 28A'scoops up and delivers powder-to-the opening 31 of the plastic column 6 with which the opening 33 of-therotatable member l5 is now registered. Upon returningthehandle 9 to its neutral position the communication between the compartments A and B and the member is closed. a

As shown in Figs. land2, the means by which the dispenser is hungupon awall 36 comprises two plastic members, one, 3",being secured to the rear plastic section Ia of the casing, Which with the other member '39 is 'secured'preferably by 15' or 3| upon the proper rotation of the tubular eating with the interior of the tubular member 7 4 screws to the wall 36. These members 31 and 39 are shaped in truncated V-sections adapted to form a wedging relationship when one of these members is inserted within the other. As shown in the drawings, the member 31 is adapted to slide with respect to the member 39. This member 31 is also provided with anteriorly reinforced portions 33 extending inwardly therefrom togive rigidity to the plastic member31 when it is fixed in relationship to the supporting member 39.

It also is to be noted that the lower edges 5A of the partition -5 are held down upon the upper surface of 'the bottom 3 by means of the shaft toners turned'tightly against the exterior surface -3Aof the bottom 3 in its threaded connection with thelower projection I of the column 6 thereby irigidly securing the partition 5 within the dispenser.

As pointed outhereinbefore, the handle 18 may be moved into one position when the contents of one compartment isdesired,-and may be moved in an opposite-direction when the'con'tents ofthe other compartment is desired. 'It has also been explained that handle 19 "may be moved to a neutral position clos'ing' -the eommunication between the central hollow-member and bothcompartments. -It is, of course, obvious that any indicating means-may be used to enable'the'operator of the dispenser to determine when the 1 which extends below thebottomof said dispenser,

a closuresecured to the'upper endof saidhollow tubular member, 'a :cross-bar secured to- "said closure, arms 'secure'd'tofsaid cross-bar extending downwardly substantially to the bottom of said compartments, openings in :said hollow tubular member for selective registry with'the openings in said hollow column, a handle secured tothe lower end of said hollow tubular member "for rotating said 'tubularrmem ber and said :arms

secured thereto, whereby when said handleflis rotated in one direction one of the openingsjin said tubular member is brought into registry with one of said compartments through the opening in one of said hollow columns and whereby said depending arms are operated to agitate the powder within said compartments.

2.' A dispenser for selectively releasing various powders contained therein, comprising an outer shell having a bottom with a'c'entral opening therein, a partition dividing *th'e space "within'the outer shell into a'plurality of compartments, said partition having a central hollow column therein extending at its lowerendthrough the openin in said bottom, openings in said' hollow column communicating with each of said-compartments, a collar secured to the bottom of said "hollow column to hold said column within said container, a hollow tubular 'memberfrotatably inserted within saidjhollow column, the lower outlet end of whichextends below the bottom of to the bottom of said compartments, each arm having a spade extremity adjacent said bottom, openings in said hollow tubular member for selective registry with the openings in said hollow column, a handle secured to the lower end of said hollow tubular member for rotating said tubular member and said arms secured thereto, whereby when said handle is rotated in one direction one of the openings in said tubular member is brought into registry with one of said compartments through the opening in one of said hollow columns and whereby said depending arms are operated to agitate the powder within said compartments.

3. A dispenser for selectively releasing various powders contained therein, comprising an outer shell having a bottom with a central opening therein, a partition dividing the space within the outer shell into a plurality of compartments, said partition having a central hollow column therein extending at its lower end through the opening in said bottom, openings in said hollow column communicating with each of said compartments, a collar secured'to the bottom of said hollow column to hold said column within said container, a hollow tubular member rotatably inserted within said hollow column, the lower outlet end of which extends below the bottom of saiddispenser,

a closure secured to the upper end of said hollow tubular member, a cross-bar secured to said closure, arms secured to said cross-bar extending downwardly substantially to the bottom of said compartments, said arms having zig-zag portions throughout the substantial length of said arms, openings in said hollow tubular member for selective registry with the openingsin said hollow column, a handle secured to the lower end of said hollow tubular member for rotating said tubular member and said arms secured thereto, I

whereby when said handle is rotated in one direction one of the openings in said tubular member is brought into registry with one of said compartments through the opening in one of said hollow columns and whereby said depending arms are operated to agitate the powder within said compartments.

4. A dispenser for selectively releasing various powders contained therein, comprising an outer shell with recessed portions on the inner side thereof and having a bottom with a central opening therethrough, a partition adapted to be inserted within said recessed portions dividing the space within the outer shell into a plurality of compartments, said partition having a central said compartments, a collar secured to the bottom of said hollow column to hold said column within said container, a hollow tubular member rotatably inserted within said hollow column, the lower outlet end of which extends below the bottom of said dispenser, a closure, secured to the upper end of said hollow tubular member, a cross-bar secured to said closure, arms secured to said cross-bar extending downwardly substantially to the bottom of said compartments, openings in said hollow tubular member for selective registry with the openings in said hollow column, a handle secured to the lower end of said hollow tubular member for rotating said tubular member and said arms secured thereto, whereby when said handle is rotated in one direction one of the openings in said tubular member is brought into registry with one of said compartments through the opening in one of said hollow columns and whereby said depending arms are operated to agitate the powder within said compartments.

PHILIP FRANK SIEWENIE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Banua Sept. 25, 1945 

